Some say there are 7 covenants in the Bible, but actually, there are 8! Since the beginning, God has desired a relationship with humans. Naturally, because He gave people free will, we kept breaking the relationships. Here we take a look at all the Biblical Covenants and see why God hasn’t given up on us. Let’s dig in…
What is a Covenant?
A covenant is an unchangeable, divinely imposed, legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the condition of their relationship.
Theologian Wane Grudem
There are two types of covenants — bilateral and unilateral. Bilateral means that both parties agree and there is a penalty for breaking the covenant. Furthermore, God isn’t the one who breaks the covenant. Thus, in the Old Testament, we find stories of people being judged and punished — rather harshly at times — when they broke God’s Bilateral Covenants.
Unilateral covenants are purely God’s. He promises — He fulfills. Period. God would never break His covenant with us.
What Does Covenant Mean in the Bible?
In the Bible, we have the seven Covenants between God and Israel found in the Old Testament. Then we have the New Covenant between God and the born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Here are 8 covenants and what they mean…
#1 – The Edenic Covenant
When God created the earth and placed man and woman in the Garden of Eden, He promised them eternal rulership. It was the perfect partnership in the perfect location.
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” …
15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-17 NLT
Adam and Eve had it made! They lived in paradise, had the perfect vegan diet, and had many animals, birds, and fish, to play with. Unfortunately, with Satan’s prompting, they broke the covenant. Thus, God made a new covenant of redemption.
#2 – The Adamic Covenant
14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, you are cursed
more than all animals, domestic and wild.
You will crawl on your belly,
groveling in the dust as long as you live.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”16 Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”Paradise Lost: God’s Judgment
20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
Genesis 3:14-21 NLT
The fact that God killed animals and made clothing from their skins was a sign that God would provide for them even though they would have to toil for a living.
#3 – The Noahic Covenant
Fast forward to Chapter 6 and we find that humans have grown evil, nasty, and wicked and God regretted ever creating them.
5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. 7 And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” 8 But Noah found favor with the Lord.
Genesis 6:5-8 NLT
You can study the whole account of the Great Flood here.
After the flood, God made a promise to Noah and his family…
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Genesis 9:8-16 NLT
God promised never to destroy the world by a flood. However, the Book of Revelation tells us that the world will be destroyed by fire, earthquakes, war, and diseases, but no flood.
The bow in the sky was meant to be seen as a warrior’s bow. But if the arch of a rainbow formed the arch of a bow, the arrow would fly right into heaven. That is the point God is making. A time will come when punishment won’t come down on the earth but will fall upon God himself in a supreme act of mercy.
From “Jesus in all of Genesis – a video devotional” from the YouVersion Bible app
That supreme act of mercy is Jesus’ death on the cross and His ascension.
It’s also a shame that God’s rainbow has been bastardized. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
#4 – The Abrahamic Covenant
The covenant between God and Abraham is all about the land of Israel. It begins in Genesis 12…
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3 NLT
This covenant is unilateral, meaning it’s a solid promise from God. Note verse 3. “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.” I’m sure you’ve heard this quoted a lot recently. Considering this is a solid promise from God — and God never changes — it makes you wonder who’s being cursed right now for how they are treating the land of Israel.
Which side of the equation are you on?
Jesus fulfills the second part of verse 3 as a blessing from God through Abraham. Yes, Jesus is Jewish! Here’s His lineage!
#5 – The Mosaic Covenant
The rest of the Book of Genesis tells the story of Abraham’s descendants, how Israel got its name, and how the Israelites ended up in Egypt. 400 years later, they’re enslaved by a nasty Pharaoh and cry out to God for help. Enter Moses who obeys God’s calling to guide the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land — Israel. We find that story in Exodus.
When they stopped at Mount Sinai…
3 Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”
7 So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him. 8 And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord.
Exodus 19:3-8 NLT
God reminded them of what He did to the Egyptians. All God wants is for the people to OBEY and keep His covenant, they’ll be His own special treasure. They AGREED. This bilateral covenant was confirmed. Then God gave them the 10 Commandments. Jesus later merged them into 2 great ones.
#6 – The Land Covenant
This is an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant and it starts in Deuteronomy 28. This comes after the Israelites reached the Promised Land and they didn’t trust that God would protect them, so that generation, except for 2 faithful scouts — Joshua and Caleb — spent 40 years in the desert and died there. That story is in Numbers 15.
We find this covenant in Deuteronomy…
“In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. 2 If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. 4 Even though you are banished to the ends of the earth, the Lord your God will gather you from there and bring you back again. 5 The Lord your God will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!
6 “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! 7 The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you. 8 Then you will again obey the Lord and keep all his commands that I am giving you today.
9 “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. 10 The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 NLT
It is a unilateral covenant — one of God’s promises for the land of Israel. Yet, in the not-too-distant future, we read…
13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 NLT
This passage gets taken out of context a lot. God was speaking to Israel. Nevertheless, many pray this as if God’s going to heal America. In my opinion, America is doomed.
#7 – The Davidic Covenant
Here God makes another unilateral promise to King David that one of His descendants will be the ruling King of kings. See, David, once crowned, wanted to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant. But God said, no. He was a warrior king. His son, Solomon, would be the one to build the temple. Nevertheless, God made David a promise…
12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.
2 Samuel 7:12-16 NLT (emphasis mine)
This promise went beyond Solomon to Jesus, the Messiah born a human King into David’s lineage. Mary was a descendant of David as was Joseph.
#8 – The New Covenant
God promised this unilateral, New Covenant to the Israelites in the Old Testament…
31 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34 NLT
26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT
Jesus spoke of the New Covenant Promise at the Last Supper
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
Luke 22:20 NLT (emphasis mine)
Ultimately, Jesus fulfilled this covenant promise by giving us His Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Have YOU accepted the New Covenant from Jesus?
See, Jesus didn’t suffer torture on the cross, die, and rise on the 3rd day so we could have religion! NO! He died taking ALL our sins away permanently — once and for all — to have a 1-on-1, personal relationship with us.
Inviting Jesus into your life is a decision you must make while you are still alive and coherent. After you are dead, it is too late! So…
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.